Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the Eurostar and rail freight companies in relation to the EU Commission’s position on the validity of ORR issued rail operating licences within the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Lord Grayling
The UK is committed to ensuring the continued smooth functioning and operation of cross-border rail services through the Channel Tunnel, which is in the mutual interests of both the UK and affected EU Member States.
The Government is actively engaging with a range of European counterparts, including relevant Member States, to secure bilateral arrangements for cross-border rail services for both passenger and freight services once the UK leaves the EU. Discussions to date have been productive and we remain confident about concluding appropriate arrangements so that these mutually-beneficial cross-border services continue.
The Government is also working closely with cross-border rail operators to ensure they are as prepared as possible for all scenarios, including supporting operators’ preparations to ensure they hold valid licences and certificates to continue operating in the EU in the event of no deal. The Government is also engaging with relevant Member States and regulators to maintain appropriate levels of cooperation, for example on safety and economic matters. These preparations will support the continued smooth operation of services in all scenarios.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Office of Rail and Road issued rail operator licences will be invalid in the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered by Lord Grayling
As set out in the ‘Rail Transport if there’s no Brexit deal’ technical notice, published by the Government in October 2018, the European Commission has indicated that, in the event of no deal, operator licences issued by the ORR (as the UK’s licensing authority) to operators currently operating in the EU would not remain valid in the EU after EU exit. However, the technical notice also made clear that arrangements for cross-border services would be subject to any bilateral arrangements that the UK negotiates with individual EU countries. On the basis of the productive discussions with relevant member states, we remain confident about concluding appropriate bilateral arrangements so that these mutually-beneficial cross border services continue.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the port of Ostend on the proposed re-opening of the Ostend to Ramsgate ferry route.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The Government is not a party to any contract with the port of Ostend. The operational plans for the Ostend to Ramsgate ferry route have been reviewed by my Department.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure that the (a) tendering process, (b) contract and (c) funding for the re-opening of the Ostend to Ramsgate ferry route complies with (i) the Concession Agreement with Eurotunnel, (ii) state aid rules and (iii) competition law; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
In the Government's view, the contracts do not breach the concession agreement with Eurotunnel. Obligations under competition and state aid law were taken into account as part of the contractual process.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a full list of companies that his Department has engaged in contracts with for work relating to preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered by Lord Grayling
In line with transparency obligations the details of contract awards over £10k are published on Contracts Finder. The Department endeavours to do this in a reasonable time, and where possible within 90 days of the contract award date.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he anticipates the Ramsgate to Ostend ferry route will be open to freight if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
I expect this route to be open to freight by April 2019.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of trains that will run overcapacity and (b) the amount by which they will exceed their capacity on average by 2025 on currents trends in funding and passenger growth.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Estimates for the number of overcrowded trains and their levels of overcrowding in 2025 are not available.
Capacity provided by franchised rail operators is monitored by the DfT through a regular series of passenger counts at a number of major city centre stations. Along with other data sources, these feed into a model that allows the DfT to forecast passenger demand. Latest published forecasts for passenger demand are available here:
The results enable the DfT to liaise with operators where capacity problems are identified, and to ensure that potential solutions are investigated.
It is for the rail industry to plan to fully deploy available rolling stock to best meet passenger demand and take all reasonable steps to minimise any crowding, as set out in the Train Plan within the Franchise Agreements for DfT’s franchised train operators.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the end of two tone horn warnings at whistle boards on trends in the level of fatalities at railway level crossings.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) is responsible for issuing guidance to train drivers operating on the mainline railway, including the procedures for using horns at whistle boards, which are placed in advance of most level crossings.
Since June 2007, train drivers have not been required to make two tone horn warnings at whistle boards, although it remains in discretion of the driver to use two tone horn warnings if necessary, for example to give warning to someone on or near a running line.
The Department continues to monitor safety on the rail network, including at level crossings, which has gradually improved over the last decade.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place in the Library a copy of all documents and emails held by his Department on the due diligence undertaken on Seaborne Freight Ltd. before the awarding of a freight moving contract to them as part of the preparation for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The contractual process was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State on 7 January. The due diligence was carried out on a commercially confidential basis and therefore we have no plans to publish any further detail.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the number and proportion of trains running over capacity in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Capacity provided by franchised rail operators is monitored by the DfT through a regular series of passenger counts at a number of major city centre stations. The results enable the DfT to liaise with operators where capacity problems are identified, and to ensure that potential solutions are investigated.
It is for the rail industry to plan to fully deploy available rolling stock to best meet passenger demand, and take all reasonable steps to minimise any crowding.
Rail crowding statistics published by the Department for Transport provides information on passenger crowding into major city centres, based on a typical autumn weekday. The table below presents the percentage of standard class passengers in excess of the capacity (PiXC) on their train service across the morning peak (07:00 to 09:59) and evening peak (16:00 to 18:59) into major city centres.
Passengers in excess of capacity (PiXC) on a typical autumn weekday across fourteen major cities in England and Wales
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Total for all major cities | 3.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 2.6% |
Further information is provided in the following online table:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728189/rai0209.ods
This table is part of an annual statistics publication on passenger numbers and crowding in major city centres in England and Wales, which can be found here: